GMC To Sell Old And New Acadia Side By Side For 2017

In a surprising announcement, GMC has revealed that in addition to selling the recently unveiled 2017 GMC Acadia CUV, the brand will also be dusting off its predecessor for 2017 and selling it alongside the new model in a highly unusual move that few saw coming.

According to a statement from General Motors spokesman Brian Goebel in an interview with Automotive News both models will be sold alongside each other; Goebel did not formally provide a timetable for the arrangement's duration. The old Acadia will be rebranded as the Acadia Limited for 2017.

While certainly unorthodox, the decision was mainly due to manufacturing constraints with the new model being built in Spring Hill, Tennessee, rather than at GM's plant in Lansing where the current generation Acadia is produced alongside its cousins, the Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave. Unlike the Acadia, both the Enclave and Traverse are expected to remain in Lansing when they eventually undergo their respective updates, but they will not go on sale until the latter half of 2017, which could serve as a short-term disadvantage since both models are starting to get long in the tooth, especially in terms of technology and refinement. The plan will also allow GM to keep a full production schedule at the Lansing facility until another model can fill the void that would be left by the discontinuation of the old Acadia.

"Given the fact that those sister vehicles will continue their production, the current Acadia will continue to be built to offer another option for our customers," Goebel said.

This situation will allow shoppers the unique opportunity to compare the two of them side-by-side to see what changes the 2017 Acadia will bring when it shrinks in size and joins the mid-size CUV segment. One of these changes is the availability of either five-, six-, or seven-passenger configurations which is slightly less than the bigger current generation model. As for the Enclave and Traverse, they are not expected to shrink, and will be built on a long-wheelbase version of the new Acadia's platform. This longer platform will help the Traverse maintain its position as a top-tier family hauler, while it will help the Enclave deliver the smooth ride that is a must-have attribute in the luxury CUV segment.